Amelia Joyce Philip (2018) The effects of logging, forest fragmentation and conversion to oil palm plantation on vertical stratification of ant communities. Masters thesis, Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
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Abstract
Forest conversion and expansion of oil palm plantation, in Malaysia particularly, alters forest structure and affects ecological functioning, which contributes to a significant loss of biodiversity. The objective of this research is to study the vertical stratification of ants in response to logging, subsequent fragmentation, and conversion to oil palm and the synergistic impacts of climate change. Research was conducted in Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystem (SAFE) experimental sites and in Maliau Basin Conservation Area. Canopy and leaf litter ants were sampled using fogging and Winkler extraction methods respectively, across 136 sampling points in old growth forests, logged forests, fragmented forests, and oil palm plantations. The species richness, diversity and abundance of canopy and leaf litter ants for before and after experimental fragmentation have been compared. Species richness and diversity of ants in both microhabitats were significantly higher in continuous old growth and logged forest and lowest in fragmented forest and oil palm plantation; species richness (canopy-2011, Welch F test, p<0.001; 2015, Welch F test, p<0.001), (leaf litter-2011, Welch F test, p<0.001; 2015, One-way ANOVA, p<0.001) and species diversity (canopy-2011, One-way ANOVA, p<0.001; 2015, One-way ANOVA, p<0.001) (leaf litter- 2011, One-way ANOVA, p=0.002; 2015 Welch F test, p<0.001). Species abundance showed variable results in each habitat. The number of unique species in canopy has decreased, but number of species found in both strata and found only in leaf litter has increased (17% to 23.2% and 20.7% to 25.4%, respectively). Species composition showed old growth forest has very low species similarity compared to disturbed habitats.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Keyword: | Forest conversion, Oil palm plantation, Ant communities, Vertical stratification, Species richness, Species diversity |
| Subjects: | S Agriculture > SD Forestry > SD1-669.5 Forestry > SD561-669.5 Administration. Policy |
| Department: | INSTITUTE > Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation OTHERS |
| Depositing User: | DG MASNIAH AHMAD - |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Mar 2025 16:26 |
| Last Modified: | 24 Mar 2025 16:26 |
| URI: | https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/43308 |
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